Improvement in locomotive spark-arresters



UNrrED 'raras `.iosnrir e. ARMsrRoNG, or NRW BRUNSWICK, New JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN LoooMtoTlvi-z SPARK-ARRESTERS.

' specification arming part of Letters Patent No. 112,310, dated Marcil 7, 1871.

To all` whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH Gr. ARMSTRONG, of New Brunswick, county of Middlesex, in tlie State ot" New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and usefullmprovements in Spark- Arresters for Locomotive and other Boilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is` a full and exact description of the same.

My invention provides for throwing the sparks toward the periphery of the casing.l There is an inverted conical casing mounted alittle within the main casing, so that the current of gases circulates down the exterior face and up the interior face. This intermediate casing is openboth at the top and bottom, so that the air or gaseous products of combustion with which the sparks are interspersed can move freely outward at the upper edge and inward at the lower edge; and the sparks may revolve in this manner upward and outward several times without much chance of being drawn inward again so far as to escape with the smoke. They are certain,

on the contrary, to be deposited sooner or later in the angular Vchamber provided for them around the base of the stack.

In ordinary practice the sparks will rarely,

i if ever, rise again after coming down the exterior of the casing; but the gas which accompanies them will move inward across the bottom of the interior casing, and will rise with the current which rises on the inside.

I will proceed to describe what I'consider the best means of carrying out my invention.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of this specification, and is a central vertical section through my improved spark-arrester detached from the locomotive, portable engine, or other boiler on which it may be used.

A is the ordinary cylindrical smoke-pipe. B is a conical delector or director, mounted in an inverted position over the center of A, and supported by slender rods b. M is the intermediate conical casing or conductor, open at the top and bottom, to which I have referred. It is supported irmly in its place by rods or staybolts. V(Not represented.) It is an intermediate positionbetween the central pipe, A, and the exterior casing, D. This latteris clearly represented in the drawing. It provides an annular chamber around the base, in

which the sparks and soot may lodge with ordinaryhand-holes, (not represented,') to provide for clearing it out at intervals. Its lower por- `tion is cylindrical; its middle height is conical. Above this it extends for a short tancel cylindrical.

Above this is the arrester D', made in a separate piece, in the form ot' an inverted conical rin g. Its function is to convey the sparks outward and deiiect them downward outside ofthe casing M. Its center is extended upward a short distance cylindrically, as represented, and its exterior edge is curved downward to form a suitable junction with the upper edge ofthe outer casing, D, all as shown. There is no need of any netting over its top.

The smoke passes up the pipe A either steadily or in jets, and is deilected outward disin all directions by the conical director B.`

After passing this latter the principal portion of the gaseous matter curves inward again toward the axial line, and pours out through an ample space in the center of the top; but

the pieces of coal, soot, or the like solid matter, called generally by the collective name ot sparks,7 being more dense, are not so easily deiiected inward by the draft. They contin ue their diverging motion, accompanied by a small portion of the gaseous matter, and flow upward to the upper edge of the casing M. Here they are arrested and again deiected outward by the arrester D', which is a conical casing tted on the structure, and are thus compelled to move outward across the top of the casing M. The whole of the matter thus deflected, including all the solid sparks and a little gaseous matter, descends through the space between the casing M and the exterior casing, D, gradually separating. The sparks move down against the outer wall, and the gases move down against the inner wall of None are thrown e I attach importance, but have not considered them necessary to be shown in the drawing. One is the adjustability of the central director, B, up and down. I make the rods b to extend down on the outside of the pipe A, and secure them by bolts passing through long slots. By slackening these bolts, and yagain tightening them after raising or lowering the director, I can find, by a few trials, which is the best elevation for any given degree of coning form or for any given size of apparatus. It is desired to hold it so low as to be certain to throw the sparks outward under the arrester D. Another point is the provision for obtaining ready access to the interior Work generally. I rivet most of the joints; but the joint around the top, between the cylindrical part of the eXterior casing and the part which I have markedV D', is made by bolts and nuts, arranged preferably with the nuts outside.

Itis a triiing labor to liberate and lift olf the whole top and make any adjustment or repairs on the interior, and to return the parts and secure them firmly to their places.

The space between the easings M and D should be quite wide, so as to allow the gases to travel moderately in their descent between them, and thus better allow the sparks to fall to the lower and outer side of the descending current.

I claim as my inventionl. Thespark-arrester herein described, havn ing a wide space between the internal casing, M, and the outer casing, D, with provision, as specified, for inducing a descending current therein and throwing down the sparks, while the gases without sparks are drawn inward at the base of the casing M and carried upward again, as set forth.

2. The simply conical director or spreader B, turnin g the ascending current outward without turning it downward, when arranged as represented relatively to the casin gs M and D and to the top piece, D', the latter being formed as shown, to arrest and smoothly turn into the space between M and D the outer portion of the current rising near the axial line of the structure, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH G. ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses :4

THOMAS D. SrE'rsoN, O. C. LIVINGS. 

